New drug can help paralysed people walk

Scientists have developed a pill which they claim could help paralysed people walk again.

Scientists have developed a pill which they claim could help paralysed people walk again.

The new drug allowed mice with no movement in their lower limbs to walk with "well-coordinated steps" and even to replicate swimming motions.

The experimental drug, called LM11A-31, was developed by Professor Frank Longo, of Stanford University, California.

The researchers gave three different oral doses of LM11A-31, as well as a placebo, to different groups of mice beginning four hours after injury and then twice daily for a 42 day experimental period, the Daily Mail reported.

In tests, the experimental medication did not increase pain in the mice and showed no toxic effects on the animals.

It also efficiently crossed the blood brain barrier, which protects the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals carried around in the rest of the bloodstream.